1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to animal traps and, more specifically, to improvements in pivotable jaw traps of the kind in which a spring-loaded actuator controls the position of the jaws.
2. Prior Art
The trap of the present invention is an improvement of the trap sold for many years by the assignee of the present invention (Victor Animal Trap Company, Division of Woodstream Corporation, Lititz, Pennsylvania) as the "No. 1.75 PROFESSIONAL". Traps of this general nature are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,489,095; 2,632,974; 4,240,223 and 4,272,907. This type of trap is characterized by a pair of pivotable jaws which are biased form a substantially 180.degree. set position to an abutting sprung position by spring-loaded actuator levers. The actuator levers have enclosed apertures through which both jaws extend and are themselves rotatable about axes which are perpendicular to the rotation axes of the jaws. When the levers are separated by a wide angle, the jaws can be moved to the set position wherein a dog member is rotated over one of the jaws to engage a pan-type trigger disposed between the open jaws. The engaged dog member prevents the jaws from closing in response to the urging force of the levers. When the pan is rotated, as by an animal stepping thereon, the dog member is released and leaves the jaws unrestrained. The levers snap the jaws shut and trap the animal's legs therebetween.
This prior art trap is susceptible to being inadvertently sprung when an animal steps on the dog-restrained open jaw rather than on the trigger pan. Specifically, there is some slack beyond the set position of the dog-restrained jaw which permits this jaw to move away from the dog member when this jaw is stepped on. If the restrained jaw so moves, the dog member tends to release from the trigger pan and permits the jaws to be snapped shut by the actuation levers. Since the animal will have stepped only on the restrained jaw and not between the jaws, there is a strong likelihood that the animal will not be trapped between the closed jaws.